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"I expected it to be a lot of work, and it was. But it was fun work," said Shannon Oliver, MBA '13, describing a unique aspect of the Oregon MBA. Each fall, members of the first-year MBA cohort start working with a real-life company, almost right away, applying concepts learned in class--even while they're still acquiring them. This year's client was Ninkasi Brewing Company, the Eugene-based business that--for the past two years--has been the fastest growing craft brewery in the U.S.

A serendipitous partnership between the Lundquist College of Business and the Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) will benefit students, Oregon's independent community banks, and even the state's legislators. When Jeff DeBoer came on board as managing director of the Finance and Security Analysis Center (FSAC) last June, one of the first orders of business was to expand the curriculum to include a commercial banking track.

When asked to describe what motivated her to lead the MBA program as its new assistant dean, Rebecca Monro replied, “The Lundquist College offers rigorous academics and a truly distinctive hands-on program facilitated by a top-tier faculty. It simply felt like a perfect match." Blending academic knowledge with real-world learning in a vibrant higher education experience is an ongoing career theme for Monro.

There's been a lot happening both off and on campus over the past weeks. Here are some of the highlights: the lobby of the Oregon Business Institute—home of our Portland-based executive education program--sports a new look reflecting the UO's rebranding of the program.

A winning combination of know-how and fresh ideas--that's the value real-life businesses and organizations find when they work with the student consulting teams in senior instructor Beth Hjelm's business strategy and planning course.

What a thrill it was to see that a grand total of six winners of the most recent 20 Under 40 Awards are Lundquist College of Business alumni. For the past four years, the annual event has recognized the Eugene area's emerging business leaders, honoring them for their community involvement, as well as for what they've achieved in their careers. By combining professional excellence with a commitment to the greater good, these graduates reflect values central to the business school's mission.

"I always thought that a leader has to have all the answers. But this class has shown me that what matters is being able to ask the right questions," said Mark Schleyer, describing his recent experience in the Lundquist College's Leadership in Action course. Led by senior instructor Anne Forrestel, the annual course gives a group of twenty juniors and seniors the opportunity to work on consulting projects for area nonprofits and local government agencies. This fall's clients included St.